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www.residentialsystems.com
January 2010
PUTTING
Energy into
Light Control
™
BY JEREMY J. GLOWACKI
EDITORIAL
WWW.RESIDENTIALSYSTEMS.COM
January 2010
Volume 11, Number 1
EDITORIAL
Talking the Talk
Our industry talks a of her water usage habits until embarking on this
Jeremy J. Glowacki Editorial Director
good game about be- project 18 months ago. Now, however, her home’s
Margot Douaihy Contributing Editor
Jeremy Burkhardt, Sam Cavitt, Mike Detmer, coming more green in water consumption is amazingly minimal. On
Anthony Grimani, Michael Heiss,Richard Millson, the products that we the inside, it has low-flow faucets that output
Karen Mitchell, Randy Stearns, Karen Sussman, manufacturer and the services we provide. Some only a gallon and half of water per minute, and
Gordon van Zuiden of us, in fact, are just talking, but a growing power-assisted toilets flush only a gallon of wa-
Contributors
number are actually walking the walk. ter each time.
SALES & MARKETING I had the pleasure last month of seeing how I’ve always been a big “yard work” type of
Phil Holtberg Group Publisher, 212.378.0413 some of the leaders among us are working hard guy, so when I had a chance to chat with the
Gene Kinsella Midwest Sales, 773.857.5944
to provide more environmentally friendly home’s landscape architect, John Carter, I was
Deborah Rosenthal West Coast Sales, 212.378.0473
solutions, when I toured the Green Life Smart definitely in my element. Carter helped make the
Zahra Majma Classified Advertising Sales, 212.378.0433
Life home in Narragansett, Rhode Island. property around the home more sustainable by
ART & PRODUCTION
Nicole Cobban Senior Art Director Owned by PR and marketing professionals planting native, drought-tolerant, disease-
Annmarie LaScala Art Director Kimberly Lancaster and Joe Hageman, the new resistant grass seed, and native plants and trees.
FredVega Production Manager home was recently completed and earned the
first LEED Gold home certification in the state of
Kim and Joe are hoping to
‘
CIRCULATION
Anne Drobish Associate Circulation Director, Audience Development Rhode Island as well as an ENERGY STAR rating.
Michele Fonville Circulation Coordinator LEED certification is something you’ve help build AWARENESS WITH
probably heard about and might be researching
Telephone: 888-266-5828 (U.S.A. only, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. est)
978-667-0352 (outside the U.S.) Fax: 978-671-0460 thoroughly as a potential business opportunity. ESCS about how they can
E-mail: newbay@computerfulfillment.com Web: MyRESMag.com
Subscriptions: Residential Systems P.O. Box 1067, Lowell, MA 01853
As much as I thought I knew about LEED before
my visit, however, I learned so much more after
consistently bring three LEED
NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE
Steve Palm President & CEO
seeing the Rhode Island home in person. The points to their future projects
project gained an impressive 92.5 out of 136
Paul Mastronardi Chief Financial Officer
Joe Ferrick Vice President of Web Developemnt LEED points. The home also features a rainwater harvesting
Denise Robbins Group Circulation Director By using a combination of ENERGY STAR system that connects the roof’s gutters with a
Greg Topf IT Director appliances and AV, such as their Whirlpool 5,000-gallon tank for outdoor watering.
Jack Liedke Controller washing machine and KitchenAid fridge and Kim says the only person she spent more time
Ray Vollmer HR Manager dishwashers (yes, two), as well as Panasonic flat- with than Carter on the project was her ESC Jeff
NEWBAY MEDIA SYSTEMS GROUP panel TVs, Control4 automation gear, and Lutron Mitchell of Robert Saglio Audio Video Design. He
Adam Goldstein Vice President, Group Publishing Director lighting control, Kim and Joe were able to satisfy helped create a green wiring design and provided
Phil Holtberg Publisher their technical goals while also keeping energy a relatively minimalist approach to AV integration.
Anthony Savona Editorial/Creative Director
consumption in check. The Control4 system For him, the entire endeavor was an education in
Jeremy Glowacki Editorial Director
was designed to help manage and monitor what was possible on project of this kind. He says
Rob Granger Web Editor
Ragan Whiteside Web Manager energy, which is an obvious opportunity for he also discovered simpler green concepts such
Ashley Vermillion Web Production Specialist electronic systems contractors. as driveway sensors that turn a home’s lights on
Published by NewBay Media L.L.C. Kim and Joe are hoping to help build awareness only when you need them on.
810 Seventh Avenue, 27th Floor with ESCs about how they can consistently bring In the Green Home Smart Home, Mitchell
New York, NY 10019
three LEED points to their future projects. “We tackled a lot of challenges, but now he hopes to
Tel: 212.378.0400 Fax: 212.378.0470
E-mail: jglowacki@nbmedia.com want them to be able to say, ‘You can use these focus his green services on a few marketable
Reprints and permissions: For article reprints, please contact our types of systems—this is how they did it in ideas. The key is that he has already walked the
Reprint Coordinator at Wright's Reprints: 877-652-5295 another house—and it is repeatable,’” Lancaster walk and can now talk the talk with new
Residential Systems (ISSN# 1528-7858) is published monthly said during her opening remarks last month. customers.
by NewBay Media L.L.C. Three points might not sound like a lot, but
810 Seventh Avenue, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10019
Periodical Postage Paid at New York, NY
they all add up. Their home gained additional
and additional mailing offices. points for the types of construction and furniture
Postmaster: send address changes and inquires to material that were used and with the way they
Residential Systems P. O. Box 1067 Lowell, MA 01853.
Subscriptions: US: 1-yr $56, 2-yr $100; Canada: 1-yr $104, 2-yr $196; are able conserve water.
Foreign: 1-yr $156, 2-yr $300. Kim admitted that she was relatively unaware JGLOWACKI@NBMEDIA.COM
Back issues are $8. Copyright 2010 by NewBay Media
PRINTED IN THE USA.
RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
JANUARY 2010
BEHIND THE BUSINESS Q&A
Audio Plus Services founder Daniel Jacques
began his career in the audio-video industry
in 1975 as a retailer in Canada, then later
started importing and distributing European
brands, first via Plurison and later in the U.S.
with APS. Jacques took a moment recently to
answer our questions about distribution businesses, and about
his perspective on the CEDIA channel as a whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
COLUMNS
HOME THEATER Tony Grimani makes his case to manufacturers
of AV receivers for more simple on-screen menus to set up basic
critical functions in a standardized order and with a standardized
language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
INTERNETWORKING Gordon van Zuiden returns to his post
and argues that professional electronic systems integrators can
now provide solutions that foster the same level of socially
connected experiences within the home as social networking
sites like Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
BACK TO BUSINESS In his monthly column, Richard Millson asks
26
the question: “Are you doing everything you can to present yourself FEATURES
and your ESC firm not just as technology experts but as a serious
COVER STORY: Putting Energy into Light Control Long before it was fashionable,
and reputable business run by experienced professionals?” . . . . 50
lighting and shades control companies were producing products aimed at giving end
users the ability to consciously reduce energy consumption, while bringing pizzazz to
PEER PRODUCT REVIEWS
the homestead. Find out more about some of their latest offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Paragon Sight and Sound president Larry Marcus says the feature
set on NuVision’s Lucidium FX5LS Series LCDs is “very good,” and
At the Crossroads ”CEDIA, what have you done for me lately?” is more than a
Dallas Sight and Sound CEO David Rogers rates TRUFIG’s Custom
rhetorical question these days, as veterans and newcomers of the 20-year-old
Installation Kit “at the top of any scale”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
association look to recruit younger integrators, elucidate the association’s relevance
during challenging times, and to put forth a message that CEDIA and its educational
DEPARTMENTS curriculum are essential to the future of the industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Selling Secondary Surround Most people spend more time watching TV and movies in
News.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
their bedroom, den, or even in the kitchen than in a dedicated home theater. If you are
Literature Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
CEDIA Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 not showing your clients what you can do with those rooms as well, you’re missing out
Ad/Edit Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 on a huge market for high-quality audio systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
No Architect, No Designer… No Problem Establishing a unified vision from an
VISIT US ONLINE AT RESMAGONLINE.COM architect, interior designer, and ESC on the same home AV integration project is often
indicates that extended coverage for that story is available
on our website. There you will also find online-only difficult. Shannon McGinnis and his Home Technology Systems Inc. team in Wichita,
BLOGS from the Residential Systems editorial team on Kansas, avoided this potential headache on a recent whole-home project by essen-
the latest industry news and new products.
tially playing all three roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
ON THE WEB
News Digest
GET THE FULL SCOOP ON THE FOLLOWING NEWS
STORIES AT WWW.RESIDENTIALSYSTEMS.COM
Simply Reliable Partners with Crestron
Fusion Names Movie Server Winner The manufacturer of SmartOffice business McIntosh, Snell Partner with Dealer
process software for integrators is co-developing
David Mills, from McIntosh Laboratory and Snell Acoustics
a solution to enable dealers to design and pro-
Kraus Hi-Tech & teamed up with Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Home Automation gram systems more quickly and easily.
McIntosh dealer Paragon Sight & Sound
Inc. in Long Island
JKP Affinity Screen Series Goes Electric and other high-performance audio
City, New York, was
Da-Lite Screen Company in now offering its new manufacturers for “The Michigan Home
selected as the winner
of Fusion Research’s series in two of the company’s most popular Theater/Audio Road Show” in Grand
CEDIA Studio Movie electric tab tensioned projection screens. Both Rapids, Michigan December 4-5.
Server giveaway. of the new HD Progressive fabrics—0.9 gain and
0.6 gain—are available. Lutron Adds Tool for GRAFIK Eye QS
Compatible with Windows PC or Mac formats,
ESPA Launches New Website QVS Offers Cat-5e Extender Kit the flash-based Design Tool is currently available
Entry-level electronic systems technicians (EST), The VAS-E provides PC VGA, stereo audio, at www.lutron.com.
recent high school graduates, and vocational RS232, bi-directional IR, and digital S/PDIF audio
and community schools have a new tool available and supports VGA resolutions up to 1920x1200 AVAD Sets First Leg of 2010 Tour
to them with the launch of www.espa.org. at 60Hz up to 330 meters (1,000ft). The early dates for the tour feature six events held
at local AVAD branches throughout Arizona,
CEA Offers Lead-Generation Tools URC’s New Platform is Universal California, and Florida.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Universal Remote Control has officially launched
has launched a new member program for its CCP (Complete Control Program), a universal Control4 in CityCenter Las Vegas
retailer and integrator members to improve programming platform for all but one of its The company’s Suite Systems are being used to
lead-generation and customer retention through current professional installation products. enhance the experience in more than 4,300
Revenew Systems. guest rooms in the ARIA Resort & Casino and
ATM Going International Mandarin Oriental hotels.
Crestron Adds to DigitalMedia Line Active Thermal Management has signed on with
The newest DM output card is now available in International Sales of San Diego to represent its MSE Appoints Pro-Vision as NYC Rep
20 versions, expanding the capabilities of the AV rack cooling products in all countries except The rep from Lynbrook, New York, will support
modular 8x8 and 16x16 DM matrix switchers. the United States and Canada. Induction Dynamics, Phase Technology, and
The new DM-TX-300N and DM-TX-300N-F are SolidDrive products.
3x1 transmitters that accept and transmit any M. Rothman to Carry Spectrum Line
analog or uncompressed digital HD signals long Rothman, based in Ramsey, New Jersey, has the VIDEO CLIP OF
distance over copper or fiber. full assortment of Spectrum HDMI and HD
video switching solutions products available
THE MONTH
NuVision Adds Five New Flat Panels for its dealers. Learn more about the
The line includes three new super slim LED benefits are participating
in CEDIA Registered
edge-lit LCD TV models for the consumer Imerge Appoints Canadian Distributor
Outreach Instructor (ROI) program in Jeremy
market, the Lucidium NVU40FX5LS (40-inch), The Cambridge-based manufacturer of hard
Glowacki’s conversation with CEDIA volunteer
the NVU46FX5LS (46-inch) and the NVU55FX5LS disk home media servers will be working with Matt Carter, from Encore Technology +
(55-inch), which is also available in a limited edi- Sound Developments as its exclusive partner Design in Raleigh, North Carolina.
tion featuring a silver frame. in Canada.
6 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
JANUARY 2010
NEWS
CEDIA EXPO
Headed Back
to Indianapolis
CEDIA EXPO is cutting short its stay in Atlanta by
one year in response to negative attendee feedback
about last September’s trade show there. Instead
of three years in Atlanta, CEDIA will be bringing its
annual convention back to Indianapolis for 2010
and 2011.
After one more year in Atlanta, September 22-
26, 2010, EXPO will be held in Indianapolis Sep-
tember 7-11, 2011, and September 5-9, 2012
Originally CEDIA had planned on a three-year CEDIA EXPO will be held in Indianapolis September 7-11, 2011, and September 5-9, 2012.
EXPO run in Atlanta followed by at least two years in
Dallas. Atlanta, however, proved to be an unpopular With the expansion of the Indiana Convention Cen- vide the membership with a host city they are
location after just one year, making a similarly de- ter and new hotels, Indianapolis is once again able familiar with and one that provides an accessi-
signed Dallas venue an unappealing answer as well. to provide CEDIA EXPO with a platform to grow.” ble, affordable, and CEDIA-like atmosphere.”
Exhibitor contraction and hotel and convention Indianapolis, which is also the home of CEDIA’s Registration for CEDIA EXPO 2010 in Atlanta
center expansion in Indianapolis made that mid- worldwide headquarters, hosted CEDIA EXPO will open June 1. More information may be found
western city viable again. from 1999-2001 and again from 2003-2005. The at www.cedia.org/expo.
“After listening to members’ feedback and closely expansion of the Indiana Convention Center
monitoring the trend of exhibitors’ booths, CEDIA includes the addition of more than 250,000 square
leadership performed extensive research on the
viability of bringing EXPO back to a city that not only
is cost-effective for our exhibitors but accommo-
feet of exhibit/meeting space and a new Marriott
Place hotel complex adds more than 1,300 rooms.
“Indianapolis was a growth city for CEDIA EXPO
Nortek
dates the needs of our attendees and members
across the globe,” CEDIA chairman Ken Erdmann
in the beginning,” CEDIA CEO Utz Baldwin said.
“In light of the recent economic climate, it is the
Emerges From
said. “Our members are very fond of Indianapolis. right time for us to get back to our roots and pro- Bankruptcy
Nortek Inc. and its affiliated domestic have complet-
RESI SYSTEMS PARENT COMPANY ACQUIRES TWICE ed their financial restructuring and emerged from
bankruptcy.
NewBay Media, the parent company of Resi- ing the market with a website and a bi-week- The emergence, which came only 57 days after
dential Systems, has acquired This Week in Con- ly print publication, as well as daily and week- the filing of a prepackaged plan of reorganization,
sumer Electronics (TWICE), from Reed Busi- ly e-newsletters. follows confirmation of the plan on December 4,
ness Information-U.S. Each title will continue “This acquisition further demonstrates 2009 by Judge Kevin J. Carey of the United States
to be published separately as part of NewBay’s NewBay’s commitment to our goal of deliver- Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. As
line of print, online, and in-person products ing value to our advertisers, readers, and part- a result of the reorganization, approximately $1.3
and services. The addition of the brand, as well ners in these critical markets,” NewBay Media billion of debt has been eliminated.
as Reed’s Broadcasting & Cable and Multichan- CEO Steve Palm stated. “With this acquisition “This reorganization process has clearly made
nel News titles, extends NewBay Media’s reach NewBay adds significant depth and breadth to Nortek a financially healthier and stronger com-
in the broadcast television and consumer elec- its existing portfolio of broadcast properties, in- pany that is better positioned for the future,”
tronics markets. cluding TV Technology and Television Broad- Nortek chairman and CEO Richard L. Bready said.
TWICE is the leading business trade period- cast, and consumer electronic properties, in- Throughout the restructuring process Nortek was
ical for retailers of consumer electronics, serv- cluding Residential Systems.” able to operate in the normal course of business,
according to the company.
8 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
NEWS
›› CAREER TRACK… Krell Industries has appointed Walt Schnei-
der as president and Todd Eichenbaum as di-
Russound’s rector of engineering on the same day that
the company announced plans to unveil its
Zerbe next-generation of products.
A l B u r d e t t has rejoined
Receives Niles Audio as vice president,
products. In his new position,
CEA Award Burdett will be responsible for
strategic planning, product
marketing, and program
Russound product manager Walt Zerbe has been management.
honored by the Consumer Electronics Associa- Russound’s Walt Zerbe accepts the 2009 CEA
tion (CEA) with the 2009 CEA Technology Achieve- Technology Achievement Award from Brian Sonos has hired Mark Crandell to the
ment for the creation of the Multiroom Audio Markwalter, VP of technology and standards, AMPAC sales team as U.S. director of sales. He
Standard (ANSI/CEA-2030). Consumer Electronics Association. will report directly to managing director of
The CEA award honors an individual’s contri- sales Bob Spaner and will oversee U.S. region-
butions to new technologies or significant im- mittee, where he currently serves as co-chair. He al retail, online, and integrator sales channels.
provements made to existing technologies and also previously served as co-chair of the R3 Audio
Premier Mounts has hired
participation and leadership in CEA’s Technology Systems Committee, chair of R3 WG7 Multi-room
Bill Wildman as national sales
and Standards program. audio, co-chair of Multi-Room Audio Video Coun- manager in charge of all deal-
Zerbe was a key leader in the creation of the cil (MRAV), and board member of the TechHome er, distribution, OEM, and
joint CEA/CEDIA R10 Residential Systems Com- Council. hospitality channels.
Stampede, the distributor of presentation
and home theater technology, has hired three
more former Electrograph staffers, Kevin
Welling, Karen Meneghetti, and Alex Ivani.
Overall the company has hired 12 of Electro-
graph’s former employees since its liquidation
last summer.
Xantech has added industry
veteran T o m H a r v e y to its
senior management team, as
director of sales.
HTSA Names New
Board of Directors
Home Theater Specialists of
America (HTSA) has elected
new officers to its board of
directors for 2010, including
Leon Shaw as president and
Bob Gullo as vice president.
Rounding out the new positions
Brad Whitehead
is Brad Whitehead, principal
of Paragon Technology Group, who won a board
seat. Shaw is chairman and founder of Audio Advice
in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Gullo is founder and
president of EDG in Piscataway, New Jersey.
NEWS
Four Questions for…
Dave Chace, Training Allies
The need for high-quality technical training in The e-learning industry has really taken off over the
our industry despite reduced travel budgets has last few years, and there’s some incredible technol-
made online training programs more critical than ogy available to make the learning really interac-
ever. David Chace, owner of Training Allies, has cut tive and engaging.
out an appropriate niche in this area, serving as a
consultant in the design of several e-learning pro-
grams now offered in the CEDIA channel. Among
his attributes are a thorough understanding of
2 Can you discuss what sort of influ-
ence you have had on e-learning
programs that CEDIA channel ESCs might
the CE marketplace and its evolving technologies, have experienced recently?
as well as a keen knowledge of eLearning design Part of our influence is bringing more awareness
and technologies and proven adult learning prac- to web-based training throughout our industry,
tices. Chace took a moment to answer four ques- and educating people to what it is and what it
tions about his vital behind-the-scenes role in in- offers. Many people associate WBT only with
dustry education programs. webinars or courses that you have to pay to see.
We’re helping to expand awareness around the
1 How did you become an expert in
training techniques, specifically e-
learning?
industry to the capabilities and benefits of self-
paced online learning. Nowadays, more and
more industry organizations are looking to get
Like many of the veterans in our industry, I began started with an online training program, or want
my career selling AV way back in the mid-80s. Lat- to enhance their existing program; and in both
er, I moved into management and started teach- cases we’re working with them to achieve their formation dictates a 60-minute curriculum, it’s
ing others how the technology works and how to objectives. For instance, we build online training better to break it into four or five individual seg-
for a variety of manufacturers like NuVo and ments than to create a single hour-long course.
Marantz that can range from brief product tuto-
‘
Nowadays, more and more rials to complete certification-based online
programs. We’re also able to help them track 4 In general, how do you make e-
learning more fun?
industry organizations are who is taking their courses, and provide a The key word is “participate.” Good e-learning
variety of data about the individual results of means the learner is an active participant, not
looking to GET STARTED WITH the participants. just an observer. E-learning shouldn’t mean being
trapped in front of computer for hours, reading
an online training program, or
want to ENHANCE THEIR 3 What are the most typical mistakes
that you see companies making
when trying to train their dealers online?
page after page of text. It should be a visually stim-
ulating and interactive process, with the learner
able to explore different options, or influence var-
EXISTING PROGRAM A frequent mistake companies make is to not ious outcomes. It can also provide for a variety of
properly understand the objective of the train- scenarios or challenges that keep the learner in-
sell it. In the late ’90s I made the formal move to ing. They believe that the priority is to deliver as terested and engaged. Additionally, today’s tech-
training when I became a director of product train- much information as possible (often in the form nology can make online learning really fun and in-
ing for Tweeter, a company that was renowned of written text), when in fact the objective should teresting by using programs like 3D modeling and
for the quality of its training program. A key part be to engage the learners, and help them to under- virtual-world environments that actually put the
of my job was learning about what makes for great stand and remember the information so they can learner in a simulated space and let them interact
training, and how to create engaging and com- effectively apply the lessons later when they’re on with their surroundings. In short, eLearning can be
pelling training programs for a wide and diverse the job. Another common mistake is that they enormously effective and cost efficient when de-
audience. I started working with web-based train- make the courses too long. It’s not uncommon to signed properly. Our understanding of CE technol-
ing (WBT) back then, but since leaving Tweeter see online training courses that are over an hour ogy along with our expertise in adult learning
several years ago, I’ve become much more deeply long, or even several hours in length. However, principles and instructional design allow us to
involved with it. As a teaching tool, WBT provides research has proven that online learning is most create engaging and effective online programs,
enormous capabilities. In fact, in many situations effective when kept to manageable “chunks,” ide- thus providing a tremendous value to a wide va-
it can be much more effective than live training. ally no more than 15 minutes in length. If the in- riety of CE organizations.
12 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
NEWS
[SITE VISIT]
An Inside Look at Runco’s Line Change
Editor’s Note: This report is an excerpt from ly define a solution for that space,” Chris-
a blog published this past November at tensen said. “It’s no longer one size fits all.
www.residentialsystems.com. In a high-light kitchen or bathroom area
where you’re watching a lot of sports, or
After a relatively long transition period CNBC where there’s a ticker along the bot-
following its May 2007 acquisition of Runco, tom, you can now say, ‘That sounds like a
Planar finally seems to have turned the corner 55-inch LCD with OPAL technology.’ It’s a
with the brand. At CEDIA EXPO this past full-bright environment, and you want an
fall, Planar’s Runco team showcased an 80- LCD because there’s no burn in.”
percent overhaul of its projection line based On the projection side, Runco wants its
on a new lampless InfiniLight LED tech- QuantumColor lampless LED projection
nology platform, as well as a completely system to be a game changer like the com-
new flat-panel product line featuring am- pany’s CinemaWide lense option was a few
bient-light-resistant OPAL technology for years ago.
LCD and plasma. Designed specifically for
The following month, Adam Schmidt home theater. The InfiniLight-
was promoted to general manager of the branded technology features
Runco team at Planar. The fresh-faced and solid-state illumination with
enthusiastic Schmidt most recently served individual RGB LEDs that nev-
the brand as director of inside sales and er need replacing. There are no
customer support, where he was the front- moving parts in the light en-
lines learning what dealers liked and didn’t gine, no color wheel, and no
like about his products. Three members of Team Runco (from mechanical pieces. Apparent-
left, senior product marketing manag-
If Schmidt’s enthusiasm for Runco is ly there also is no color drift or
er Matt Christensen, general manager Adam Schmidt, and worldwide director of
contagious, then “the Q” might replace degradation over the life of the
marketing Pippa Edelen) inside their Portland, Oregon, production facility (inset).
H1N1 as the virus of the year… at least in product, like in a lamp-based
the CEDIA channel. “When this opportunity came the VideoXtreme line more attainable; and the system, because the LEDs don’t burn out.
along, I was thrilled because I really dig thismarket new ultra-bright VX-33 projector for large screens Color is automatically calibrated at every start-
and these customers and products,” he said. “To in more challenging environments. up, (a speedy 20-second process to reach full
have the opportunity to play such a substantial In an effort to provide dealers with a higher- brightness) and the projector turns off as fast as a
leadership role at a time when we need strong margin flat-panel display (LCD or plasma) op- TV. For us “greenies” the projector contains no
leadership it was very rewarding, and I was and still tion, Runco’s Beaverton engineering team devel- mercury or lead and uses 70 percent less power
am very excited to be in this position that I’m in.” oped a proprietary process called Optical Path than a lamp-based system, exceeding all new
Schmidt’s enthusiasm felt authentic, and it ALignment Technology (OPAL). EnergySTAR requirements even the California’s
comes from a foundation of very strong new prod- In a nutshell, the process adds a layer within the new stringent rules for video products.
ucts. The new Runco team also includes senior panel itself (not a film layer on the glass) that “re- Runco wanted to create a color space that had
product marketing manager Matt Christenson, jects” and diffuses ambient light to hold onto black never been seen before. Within the QuantumColor
chief product architect Bob Williams, and world- levels, provide deeper contrast, and offer better col- Series, instead of 71 percent NTSC colors, they’re
wide director of marketing Pippa Edelen. or structure. The company’s engineers are able to using 135 percent, and there’s 12-bit color repro-
During my visit to Beaverton, the Runco team measure a 20-times increase in usable contrast duction to reduce dithering, color banding, and
ran through the company’s refreshed line of LCD in high-bright environments as a result of OPAL. smearing, according to the company. For calibra-
and plasma flat panels, which feature OPAL as an A demo proves the point for dealers who want to tion pros, included presets include the cinema-
option for high-ambient light environments and remove “price” from a flat-panel sales discussion. standard REC-709, SMPTE C, sRGB, DCI, and
new sizes and price points; the QuantumColor “We’re allowing the dealer to maintain their “Native,” which is Runco’s proprietary color space
demo (Q-750i and Q-750d), featuring no lamp mode of luxury selling and solution selling, and I designed to look great for most consumers.
and the broadest colors; the new “value-priced” LS- think that through all of the platforms that we To create custom settings, an internal software
7, LS-5, and LS-3 projectors, which give Runco a have now, our dealers are now able to do a specif- tool called the “Personal Color Equalizer” (PCE)
more entry-level option; the VX-3000, which makes ic needs analysis with their customers and clear- provides a six-axis (RGBCYM) individual color ad-
14 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
NEWS
justment for hue, saturation, gain, and white point. ry, I’ll mention that the 3 is offered at $4,995 vs. ries. First was the VX-33, a very bright projector
A calibration “tweak” or dealer can set and save $6,995 for the 5. The $15,495 “7” is similar to the (146.8 ft-Lamberts; 7,125 ANSI Lumens), which
multiple custom settings by source, including ISF Runco VX-8 offering, but without DHD processor was designed for large screens in very large rooms.
Day and ISF Night modes, dialing the color to a or CineWide options. It’s two-and-a-half-times brighter than VX-22.
client’s exacting preferences. All three projectors break away from the tradi- It also offers CineWide and AutoScope, an in-
Runco SmartColor (RSC) also offers a propri- tional, boxy black metal Runco industrial design tegrated or outboard DHD controller, and DLP-
etary advanced hue-compensation curve and col- with stylish, rounded, plastic housing that is meant based SuperOnyx three-chip light engine.
or gamut mapping system that allows for inde- As great as all of these new products may look,
pendent color correction. This, the company the key to the future of Runco is better reliability
‘
demonstrated to me, increases color saturation and service for the brand. It’s a goal echoed by
while maintaining accurate flesh tones. There’s We’re allowing the dealer to Christensen and the entire team.
no longer that sunburned look or gray flesh tones “As we’ve gone through the transition from the
after trying to get other colors to pop more.
maintain their mode of old Runco to the new Runco, the biggest benefit
On a new platform home grown by Runco’s LUXURY SELLING and we’ve seen from the new portfolio and platform is
chief product architect Bob Williams and the team driving to world-class reliability and the service,”
at Planar is a “lite-style” projection line meant to SOLUTION SELLING he said. “It doesn’t diminish anything that Runco
combat “bottom feeders” on the entry level, with has done in the past, because it was a fantastic
image quality that customers have never seen be- company and it was truly amazing what that team
fore for the price. to be more of a design complement to a multipur- had done. But now it’s based on what we can pro-
The line features the LS-3, LS-5, and a three- pose room. The ID isn’t a future plan for Runco, but vide and the organization in which we can provide
chip 720p LS-7. The difference between the 3 and keeps the price down in this particular line and it. I think that our customers will now see big dif-
the 5 is installation flexibility and contrast. The 5 makes the projector’s more flexible for a designer. ferences in what we can provide now with our
has horizontal and vertical lense shift, while the 3 The final topic during my Oregon visit involved new portfolio and platform.”
only has vertical. Because price is part of this sto- the additions to the company’s Video Xtreme Se- —Jeremy J. Glowacki
NEWS
[ON LOCATION]
Impressions of the Green
Life Smart Life Home
You might have heard about this second completed LEED-H project in
strangely named home construction the entire state. The Control4 system helps the home-
project in Rhode Island called Green As a veteran of the CEDIA chan- owners monitor and adjust energy
Life Smart Life. We’ve run articles nel, what hit me first during my vis- consumption in the Green Life Smart
Life house.
about it a bit over the past year, most it was that the home of Joe Hageman
recently in regards to the challenges and Kimberly Lancaster Hageman That’s not to say it’s an Amish farm
of using “green” wiring in a smart does not “scream” technology. For house, by any means.
home. But last month was the first two people who have made their liv- Yes, they have a couple of big
time I got to see the place in person. ing in writing, marketing, and pro- Panasonic TVs (ENERGY STAR), a
Let me tell you, it’s an amazing place. moting techie stuff for many years, NuVo Essentia E6G multiroom au-
It did, afterall, earn an official rat- what they’ve accomplished is rela- dio system (also ENERGY STAR),
ing by the US Green Building Coun- tively minimalist in terms of gear. Control4 for overall home control, percent more efficient than a tradi-
cil as a GOLD certified LEED for That a compliment, by the way. Lutron lighting control, Paradigm tional home of its size. Lutron’s light-
Homes Project. The 4529 sq/ft home I guess that’s the whole point speakers, H-P Products VACUFLO ing control helps contribute to this
scored an impressive 92.5 out of 136 when you build a green home. You central vac system, Niveus Media’s efficiency, as do LED lights and the
points. The Narragansett, Rhode Is- can blend green and tech, but tech Pro Series n9 media server, a Kalei- ENERGY STAR products I already
land, home is the first LEED-H Gold has to complement green and not descape server, and a triple rack of mentioned. So does the Control4 sys-
home in Rhode Island and only the dominate the space. gear in the basement, but none of it tem, which helps the homeowners
overwhelms you like many of the monitor and adjust their energy con-
home theater-centric homes we’re sumption. The LEED certification
used to seeing. Thanks to the home- goes well beyond energy, however,
owners themselves and the savvy of taking into account water consump-
Robert Saglio Audio Video Design tion, type of paints used, and indoor
‘
LEED CERTIFICATION goes well beyond energy,
taking into account water consumption, type of
paints used, and indoor air quality, and even the
type of carpeting, furniture, and construction
materials used.
you really only see a couple of TVs air quality, and even the type of car-
with subtle speakers below them, peting, furniture, and construction
some Win7 thin clients and Control4 materials used.
panels, and Lutron dimmer switch- For me the whole project was
es, but not much else to detract from thoroughly amazing, and like I said,
the beautiful New England coastal it’s a beautiful home. Maybe most
interior design aesthetic. fascinating to me was the use of a
The bigger story is stuff that might five-zone geothermal HVAC system
integrate with the AV controllers to (controlled by Control4). I hadn’t
make the house more efficient. With known much about geothermal be-
a HERS rating of 58, the home has fore and I know a little bit more now.
been ENERGY STAR rated as being 42 It’s a fascinating concept where the
RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
For a video highlights of my visit to the Green Life
Smart Life home, visit residentialsystems.com.
NEWS
Thanks to the homeowners, Joe Hageman and Kimberly Lancaster Hageman (left) and the savvy of Jeff Mitchell (right) of Robert Saglio Audio Video Design,
the technology in Green Life Smart Life is relatively subtle.
Earth’s consistent temperature (about 50 degrees uses electrically driven compressors and heat Oh and I loved the power-assisted toilets from
F) is tapped utilizing a standing-column well exchangers in a vapor compression cycle to con- Kohler, which use only 1.0 gallons per flush. Now
systems installed far below the surface of the centrate the Earth’s energy and release it inside every time I flush a toilet at home, I worry about all
ground, in a water well that is 1,000 feet deep. the home at a higher temperature. In the summer, of the water I’m wasting. For more information
Water circulating in the loop carries this heat to the process is reversed to cool the home. See about the project, visit www.greenlifesmartlife.com.
the home. A geothermal heat pump system then what I mean? Fun stuff. —Jeremy J. Glowacki
BY ANTHONY GRIMANI
HOME THEATER
Simplifying the Setup
WE DON’T NEED A MILLION AVR FEATURES THAT NO ONE’S GOING TO USE
It’s Friday night and here I am battling with the PC- it should be straightforward to configure, set-up,
based setup menus of a surround processor instead and calibrate.
‘
of going out for a good dinner paired with the finest A simple on-screen menu for How do you figure all this out? I suppose that
Malbec at the latest trendy Los Angeles restaurant. you can ask your engineers and technicians what
Configuring a surround processor should be the BASIC CRITICAL they think. You can try to use it yourself for a few
pretty straight forward. You set up the inputs, pre- days. You could also ask a consultant that special-
program the surround modes for each digital or
FUNCTIONS in a standardized izes in engineering issues for AV environments
analog type, set up the speaker configuration and order and with standardized what he thinks. This person will need to charge you
bass management, set the channel level calibra- for his work, but you will save that money on the
tion, and set up the speaker distances. End of sto- language would be sufficient first installation.
ry. On some units, there is also an auto-EQ/room
compensation process, and that should be a mat- A MESSAGE FOR MANUFACTURERS
ter of a few simple button pushes. discs, and several workarounds, I got the config- I encourage product manufacturers that are read-
The particular unit that I was wrestling to the urations, the levels, the delays, and the room EQ ing this to KISS (Keep It Simple, Sir). Ultimately
ground last week cost in excess of $10k, comes set. The latter ended up being done manually be- there is no need to provide a million setup features
with great reputation and pedigree, and no doubt cause the automatic routine failed to properly and options that no one is going to use. A simple
has superb sounding electronics. However, the load the coefficients to the memory slots, even on-screen menu for the basic critical functions
user interface for both the installer and the end after eight attempts. This was OK by me, because in a standardized order and with standardized
user were just plain unwieldy. The instruction at least this manufacturer offered a way to set up language would be sufficient.
manual was no real help, although very pretty, several EQ filters manually and store them to the The reason all of this is important is that a sys-
and the USB PC interface lost connection on a unit’s processor DSP engine. I often find that the tem with an incorrectly configured and calibrat-
regular basis, needing to be reset through power automated processes for room correction lack fi- ed surround decoder will just not sound good. I
cycles and application restarts. A process that nesse in fully tuning equalization, so some amount don’t care how expensive or sonically pristine the
should take one hour, took five hours, much to the of manual intervention is good. product is, the soundfield balance will be out, the
chagrin of the homeowner who was hoping to en- Oh, and by the way, this high-end product spectral balance will be wrong, and the overall
joy his new theater that Friday evening. comes with no test microphone. The dealer is ex- experience will be broken.
In the end, through endurance, much manip- pected supply the acoustic measurement through
ulation, many verifications using external test an external SPL meter, which would have a micro- THE SILVER LINING
phone pre-amplifier output fed to one of At the end of my lengthy set-up session, the client
the analog line inputs on the rear pan- took a listen to the short demonstration clips I
el of processor. In comparison, even the played, and with great emotion said “This sounds
most basic receiver at one-tenth the cost miles better than it ever has; thank you.” He then
provides a reasonable microphone. paid the fee for having me there five hours and
thanked me for coming over. He could easily see
THE LESSON LEARNED the value of having me there. I just think it would
I won’t be naming names in this article, have been much easier if the basic structure of
even if you bribe me with a bottle of this product had been kept simpler.
Malbec. What I will tell you is that as an
integrator you must think clearly when
Anthony Grimani (agrimani@
specifying products into your clients’
pmiltd.com) is president of
projects. The product should provide
Performance Media Industries, a
good sound and picture and offer the
California-based acoustical engi-
right features. It should be stable and neering firm specializing in home
Anthem has the right idea with this set-up menu for its reliable and easy to integrate to industry- theater design and calibration.
Statement D2v AV preamplifier/processor.
standard automation controllers. And
18 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
BY GORDON VAN ZUIDEN
INTERNETWORKING
Digital Family Dynamics
HOW SOCIAL COMPUTING CAN BRING YOUR CLIENT’S FAMILY TOGETHER
By now we are all familiar with the explosive pop- ■ In the family room, the com-
ularity of social networking sites like Facebook, puter provides the large screen inter-
Linked In, and Twitter. All of these sites share the face and surround sound capabili-
common benefit of bringing people and experi- ties needed for a variety of
ences closer together. Lately, I have been observ- captivating computer-based multi-
ing that we, as professional electronic systems in- person games.
tegrators, can now provide solutions that foster the ■ Our HP Touchscreen in the
same level of socially connected experiences with- kitchen is used as one of the audio
in the home. sources for our Russound whole-
While adding a computer to every bedroom can house music system. Bring up mu-
often transform shared family time into pods of sic in Microsoft Media Center, and
isolation in a home, adding a computer in the you have a multi-touch interface for
kitchen area and an AV-style computer to the fam- bringing up all the album art in your
ily room TV can actually stimulate the social dynam- collection that anyone can easily
ics of the home. Specifically, placing these com- scroll through to choose the next Adding a computer in the kitchen area and an AV-style computer
puting devices in the kitchen and the family room song. Or call up the Sonos Desktop to the family room TV can actually stimulate the social dynamics
can enable the following social behaviors to occur: Controller and bring all your Pando- of the home.
ra or Rhapsody songs to life throughout the home. I wrote about in the August 2009 issue of Residen-
■ The HP Touchscreen also has a built-in ATSC tial Systems).
‘
Don’t just sell your client a TV tuner, which enables live TV to be viewed or The point is clear. Bringing an engaging com-
recorded. If ATSC doesn’t offer a large channel se- puting platform into an area of the home where
in the kitchen or the family lection in your area, then consider the new USB- people congregate (like the kitchen or family room)
room, sell them an attached ATI CableCard tuners that now will work can significantly enhance the social interactivity
will almost any Windows7 computer for viewing of family and friends inside the home.
INTERACTIVE COMPUTING and recording HDTV content. As custom electronic integrators we can make
■ If live or recorded TV content isn’t what you that magic happen by properly setting up the net-
EXPERIENCE want to watch, then these computing platforms are work that allows for connectivity to digital enter-
the perfect gateway for downloading a Netflix tainment streams, photos, video conferencing,
■ In the kitchen the large size of a computer movie or watching the latest Seinfeld episode from cameras, and other AV sources. It is our ability to
touchscreen (23 to 25 inches) and the proximity of sites like Boxee, Hulu, or Clicker. specify and install the correct wiring infrastructure,
people standing or sitting near the screen make it ■ Over the course of the years we have digitized networking products, and data directory struc-
a perfect location for sharing video moments from all of our family videos from the ’90s, many of tures that allows these experiences to come to life
a site like YouTube or photo experiences from a them showing Christmas gatherings over the years. reliably and easily.
service like Flickr. Could there be a better way to embarrass your Don’t just sell your client a TV in the kitchen or
■ Adding Skype (or a similar videoconferenc- son or daughter than showing these videos over the family room, sell them an interactive com-
ing software) enables full two-way video confer- dinner to their current friends? puting experience in each of these areas that en-
encing with friends and relatives. In my own, for ■ Adding control software to the kitchen gage them to enjoy their personal AV content and
instance, in the family room or next to our touch- touchscreen computing platform makes this site the content they can easily subscribe to and con-
screen computer, we can call our children (one is an ideal location to view and control cameras trol from the Internet.
in Boston, the other is in Sacramento) and they can around the home or adjust thermostats, lighting,
still join us live for dinner when we Skype video or any other touchscreen-based control interface. Gordon van Zuiden
conference them into our conversation. ■ We can now easily monitor our home’s elec- (gordon@cybermanor.com) is
■ Working on dinner and looking for recipes trical consumption by viewing real-time kilowatt president of cyberManor, in
on the kitchen computer is a common group ac- usage in the window of the Internet browser soft- Los Gatos, California.
tivity in the kitchen area ware (we use the Energy Detective solution, which
20 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
QA
& BY JEREMY J. GLOWACKI
BEHIND THE BUSINESS
A EUROPEAN SENSIBILITY
AN INTERVIEW WITH AUDIO PLUS SERVICES PRESIDENT DANIEL JACQUES
Daniel Jacques began his career in the audio-video We get Blu-ray and full HD AV receivers from
industry in 1975 as a retailer in Canada, then be- Cambridge Audio, a specialty brand based in
gan importing and distributing European brands London. Cambridge Audio provides both in-
in the early ’80s; initially only for Canada through stallers and consumers with products that
my first company, Plurison. It was in 1990 that maximize performance while avoiding stratos-
Audio Plus Services was created to serve the U.S. pheric prices.
market. Between Audio Plus Services and Plurison, One of the most exciting products we just re-
more than 19 high-performance brands are now ceived comes from the French engineering spe-
available to retail and custom installation part- cialist Micromega. Their WM10 Airstream is the
ners in the two countries. Jacques took a moment world’s first high-performance Wi-Fi DAC that
recently to answer our questions about his distri- seamlessly links your PC or Mac with Apple’s
bution companies and his perspective on the iTunes library. Musical digital files have become
channel as a whole. part of our life and the Micromega Airstream al-
lows you to tap into these files and bring them to
Tell us a little bit about your current life effortlessly.
product mix?
One of our key brands is the French acoustic en- As a specialty importer and distributor,
“Even the greatest products, when
gineering juggernaut Focal, which offers a broad how do you differentiate APS from other
range of in-ceiling and in-wall loudspeakers, as supported by ineffective people, stand suppliers?
well as some stunningly beautiful floorstanding, little chance to last in a marketplace There are plenty of good products and good
bookshelf and lifestyle sub/sat systems. The where there are more products and brands around but far fewer good people. Busi-
sound quality as well as fit and finish surpass ness has always been more about people than
brands than dealers to sell them.”
consumers’ expectations. While they look great, products. Products by themselves are incapable
it’s their sonic performance that sets them apart —Daniel Jacques, President, of feedback or finding creative solutions to is-
from the competition. Audio Plus Services sues. Even the greatest products, when support-
From the French projector manufacturer, we ed by ineffective people, stand little chance to
offer Dream Vision and their new front firing last in a marketplace where there are more prod-
LCoS projector named Dream`E. This award- only part of Dream Vision’s line of exceptional ucts and brands than dealers to sell them. This is
winning high-performance/high-value projec- projectors and scalers. why we only have direct relationships, avoid sub-
tor sells for $5k and has captured many positive distribution, and only use our own corporate
reviews this past year, but is sales staff at Audio Plus Services. We strive
to make sure that the commu-
nication paths be-
tween dealers and
us are as short as
possible.
From order pro-
cessing to service
related situations
we are keeping
things as simple as possible. As
Micromega’s an example, we have a custom-designed secure
AirStream WM-10 Airstream is the dealer extranet that allows our partners to create
world’s first high-performance Wi-Fi DAC that and track RAs as well as to view their entire ac-
seamlessly links your PC or Mac with Apple’s iTunes library. count statements. This allows them to interface
22 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
BEHIND THE BUSINESS
with us on their timetable. We also employ a ful- nies of medium size such as APS and Plurison, In the short term, since money and business
ly staffed service department to cover repairs for with all the modern communication tools, are ex- are not flowing like they used to, many special-
everything we sell, and we have a customer serv- tremely well positioned and inherently more ist retailers and custom installers are taking a
ice department whose sole goal is to provide in- flexible and more capable of adapting to rapid fresh look at their partners and their product
formation and follow-up on issues of concern to changes than larger companies whose structur- mix. Over the last 12 months, we have seen quite
our accounts. Our entire orientation is customer a few new opportunities for us and I trust we will
first; we feel there is no better incentive to encour- continue to see more because any smart business
age business with us. person will tell you that status quo, or the way
And, every single dealer is unique and has spe- In our way of doing business things were, won’t necessarily be the way they’ll
‘
cific needs and limitations to which we must stay. This is an exciting time to be in the con-
adapt. To that extent, in our way of doing business
we tend to CUSTOMIZE sumer electronics industry; end-user paradigms
we tend to customize programs for individual PROGRAMS for individual are shifting, economies of scale and sophisticat-
dealers rather than trying to fit them into pre- ed engineering and manufacturing methods are
designed concepts. dealers rather than trying to fit delivering better and better quality for less and
less money. The trick is to employ the best peo-
What is in your crystal ball for 2010 and
them into predesigned concepts ple you can find, align yourself with vendor part-
beyond with regards of business forecast ners who deliver added value in the form of ex-
as well as products and technology? ceptional products and personal and corporate
Obviously technology will continue to evolve; al inertia prevents them from quickly respond- integrity, and then listen very closely to the needs
change is everywhere and within change lies ing to the needs of retailers and custom installers. and wants of your clients and customers. We’re
opportunity. The way we store and access our We’re large enough to be powerful, small enough very grateful to all those who have helped us suc-
movies and music will continue to change and to react quickly, and smart enough to listen close- ceed thus far, and look forward to providing years
will move toward increased ease of use. Compa- ly before we act. of continued, enthusiastic service. ■
FEATURE BY LLANOR ALLEYNE
PUTTING
Energy into
Light Control
How Lighting and Shades Control
Manufacturers are Keeping
Ahead of the Green Curve
To the custom integration industry’s credit, former Vice President Al Gore’s nightmarish
scenario as played out in his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, needn’t become a re-
ality; at least not on its watch.
Long before it was fashionable, lighting control companies like Lutron, Crestron,
and Colorado vNet were putting out products aimed at giving end users the ability to con-
sciously reduce energy consumption, while bringing pizzazz to the homestead.
“There’s no question that one of the biggest impacts on lighting control in the near fu-
ture will come from the green movement and the increased use of high-efficiency light
sources such as compact fluorescents and LEDs,” said Scott Stephenson, director of
marketing and product development for Colorado vNet. “Even when cost isn’t a factor,
people have a strong desire to be energy efficient for social responsibility reasons. This
is both an opportunity and a challenge for the lighting control industry.”
Coming into the second decade of the 21st century that industry meme—energy ef-
ficient, easy to use, good-looking products—continues to be the driving force behind the
delivery of innovation to match ambition.
Crestron’s Green Light line of environmental controls were
PRODUCTS LIGHTING THE WAY designed to contribute toward LEED certification. Homeowners
“Lighting control is just one part of an intelligent environmental control system,” Cre- can graphically and quantitatively view precisely how much ener-
stron’s director of marketing communications, Jeff Singer, noted. “The home is a delicate gy they are using, allowing them to predict future usage and
ecosystem, balancing lighting, shades, temperature, and all the entertainment equipment, savings over time.
26 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
Putting Energy into Light Control
FEATURE
which often consumes just as much energy as the a high standard with its The “designer flair” of Colorado vNet’s TS1 fam-
lights. All these systems must be managed in a RadioRA 2 lighting con- ily of in-wall touchscreens is a
way that optimizes overall energy efficiency and trol system. Programma- bonus to their ability to provide
personal comfort. This takes much more than just ble via a PC, RadioRA 2 control of not only a home’s cli-
a simple dimmer or switch on the wall.” controls lights, shades, mate and lighting fea-
Crestron speaks truth to power with several of AV devices, and temper- tures, but music and
its products, most notably its Green Light line of ature via the company’s security
environmental controls that contribute toward own Clear Connect Radio Frequency systems as
well.
LEED certification. Homeowners can graphically technology and is expandable and
and quantitatively view precisely how much ener- scalable for retrofits and new construction alike.
gy they are using, allowing them to predict future The “designer flair” of Colorado vNet’s TS1
usage and savings over time. family of in-wall touchscreens is a bonus to their
Lutron Electronics, with its dizzying array of ability to provide control of not only a home’s cli-
products geared toward giving end users ultimate mate and lighting features, but music and securi-
control of their environment, continues to deliver to ty systems as well. Available in 20 faceplate vari- SunDialer Window-
ations, the TS1 is notable for its ease of use, which Management System, which tracks the position of
extends to the creation of scenes—one of the many the sun and sky conditions in real time, calcu-
ways homeowners can monitor energy consump- lates the BTU load on the glass, and adjusts the
tion even while away from home. shades accordingly. The system includes an event
Sticking to a four-point principle list (affordable, scheduler, generates a user log that allows for fine-
scalable, easy installation, and feature richness) tuning of its settings, and features remote sup-
when it comes to creating lighting products, port and network control via the SunDialer IP in-
Control4’s Wireless and Wireless Outlet Dimmers terface.
extend the company’s integration with more ener- LiteTouch has designed all of its products, in-
gy-efficient lighting, such as compact fluorescent cluding the new Hybrid Wall Box Dimmer, to be
and LED lights utilizing low-voltage transformers. backwards compatible with existing field installa-
For Somfy Systems, the manufacturer of motors tions and upgradeable with the latest technology,
for shading systems, the goal is enabling a balanced including those geared toward energy savings. In-
lighting control system composed of artificial and stalled like a traditional wall dimmer, the Hybrid
natural light management. The company has added includes dip-switch settings for selection between
its Sonesse 30 RS485 and Sonesse 50 ILT motors, as either wireless RF or wired Cat-5 communication,
LiteTouch has designed all of its products, includ- well as the ILT Z-Wave Interface for integration of as well as the flexibility to choose between dim-
ing the new Hybrid Wall Box Dimmer, to be back- natural lighting control with other home systems. ming or switching functionality.
wards compatible with existing field installations “Somfy is committed to providing dealers, in- Vantage Controls has improved the features of its
and upgradeable with the latest technology, tegrators, and end users with products that en- traditional lighting control offering, but also has
including those geared toward energy savings hance the control and integration of motorized energy management in mind with another new
window coverings with various control system so- product. The company’s RP Touch Keypad is the
lutions,” Somby marketing project specialist Amy first of its new button styles and offers several aes-
Passarella said. thetical improvements over previous models, like
MechoShade Home Systems, laser engraving, LED back lighting, true-type fonts,
also a stand out for its focus and new faceplates. Additionally, the compa-
on motorized shading ny’s Energy Management System
systems that integrate enables consumers to take a
with most lighting and pro-active approach to saving
home-automation sys- energy and understanding the
tems, has designed the exact savings they are earning,
enabling homeowners to see how
much energy they are using,
MechoShade Home
make changes, and see the im-
Systems has designed
Vantage Controls’ Energy Management the SunDialer pact of the changes in usage.
System enables consumers to take a pro-active WindowManagement System to “The EMS dashboard pro-
approach to saving energy and understanding track the position of the sun and sky vides a crystal clear view of ener-
the exact savings they are earning. conditions in real time. gy and costs savings, down to the
28 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
Putting Energy into Light Control
FEATURE
kilowatt and cent,” Vantage Controls product man- Control4’s Wireless and Wireless PCS Lighting’s RFI-E
ager Reid Cram said Outlet Dimmers extend the EnOcean Radio
Having had success with its Vizia RF+, Levi- company’s integration with more Frequency Interface
ton has expanded the line with combination energy efficient lighting, such and battery-less RF
devices that allow installers to replace ex- as compact fluorescent and Switches and Remotes
isting switches with a four-button zone LED lights that utilize electronic allow homeowners to
low-voltage transformers. put a switch anywhere
controller, four-button scene controller,
by utilizing existing
or a two-button scene controller with
power lines.
switches. With an eye on rapid develop-
ments in energy efficient products, Pamela
Winikoff, PR manager for the company not- to automatically shut down a room when it is
ed that Leviton’s research and development unoccupied, turning down or off the
unit is focused on creating controls and sys- heating/cooling system, televisions, lights,
tems that can support LED technology. and any appliances,” said Control4 CTO Eric
PCS Lighting’s RFI-E EnOcean Radio Fre- Smith. “In addition, green settings on the re-
quency Interface and battery-less RF Switches mote control allow guests to voluntarily ‘green
and Remotes allows homeowners to put a their stay,’ selecting their preferences for light
switch anywhere in the home without running level, room temperature, and the frequency of
wires by utilizing existing power lines. The EnO- linen changes. After a guest has checked out,
cean RF switch sends out a radio frequency com- get a hands-on feel a room can quickly be put in “unoccupied”
mand to the RFI-E. The RFI receives this signal of its products. “In mode, which shuts off the lights, heating or
from as far away as 50 feet and then turns that into addition to featur- cooling, entertainment systems, and any oth-
a UPB signal, thus transmitting it on the power line ing these new prod- er electronic device in the room. Control4
to one of the company’s devices. ucts in our booth, Programmable via a PC, Lutron’s Suite Systems contributed to CityCenter’s
we have been tak- RadioRA 2 controls lights, shades, achievements in LEED certification.”
SPOTLIGHT ON MARKETING AV devices, and temperature via
ing the show on the
the company’s own Clear Connect
With so many lighting products on the market, how road, per se, with ILLUMINATING THE FUTURE
Radio Frequency technology.
all of these companies gain the spotlight has be- intensive, hands-on It is easy to emphasis the impact that the
come as challenging as developing the products training programs designed to teach installers green movement has had on the lighting con-
themselves. While the tradeshow calendar has always everything they need to know to successfully de- trol industry, but there is still much more that can
provided regular intervals for new product unveil- sign, install, program and integrate these new be done. Like Stephenson pointed out, “We’ve
ings, manufacturers also have been increasing their products,” said Phil Scheetz, Lutron’s home sys-
exposure to the market in innovative ways. tems marketing manager.
For much of last year, Lutron took many of its Lutron also hosted numerous specifier events
new products on the road, in an RV no less at one and posted interactive demos and videos on its
point, to allow both its dealers and customers to website to help customers experience the magic
of these new products online.
Road shows underscore a trump card that
lighting manufacturers have with both its dealer
base and conscientious consumers. It’s their pow-
er to educate. And, its not just dealers and con- Somfy Systems has added the ILT Z-Wave Interface
sumers that need schooling. Colorado vNet, like for integration of natural lighting control with
Lutron and many others in the field are well aware other home systems.
that gaining the trust of architects and designers
can open up entire avenues of revenue and inno- gotten the word out that dimming a light by 10
vation for their companies. percent saves energy by one percent, but that’s
Control4, which also caters to the commer- only a small part of the story. Innovation is still
cial market, has benefited from this broader needed to make dimmable fluorescent lighting
Having had success with its Vizia RF+, Leviton has outlook. The company’s Suite System has been acceptable to our trained senses and LEDs, her-
expanded the line with combination devices that installed in all of the guest rooms and suites at alded as the future more than 10 years ago, are
allow installers to replace existing switches with a the ARIA Resort & Casino and the Mandarin still too expensive.”
four-button zone controller, four-button scene con- Oriental at CityCenter, in Las Vegas.
troller, or a two-button scene controller with switches. “Control4 Suite Systems can be programmed Llanor Alleyne is a freelance writer in Brooklyn, NY.
30 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
FEATURE BY KAREN MITCHELL
At the Crossroads
CEDIA COURTS NEXT GENERATION WITH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY
”CEDIA, what have you done for me lately?” is For example, CEDIA has CEDIA chairman Ken Erdmann
more than a rhetorical question these days, as stepped in to fight legislation lim- (pictured here during the CEDIA
veterans and newcomers of the 20-year-old asso- iting a low-voltage contractor’s EXPO 2009 banquet dinner, finds it
ciation look to recruit younger integrators, eluci- access to lighting control work. challenging to overcome the
date the association’s relevance during challenging “We’ve been successful in edu- criticisms of those who accuse the
times, and to put forth a message that CEDIA and cating legislatures on the true organization of always having its
hand out.
its educational curriculum are essential to the fu- impact of these measures and in
ture of the industry. reframing bills so they don’t put
The delivery is impassioned, designed to anyone out of business,” Erd- A CALL TO ACTION
demonstrate how the heavy lifting CEDIA did in mann explained. “CEDIA also has For Mike Creeden, CEDIA Educa-
the 1990s has benefited many who may be a public policy director, Darren tion Council chair, the clarion call
unaware of the gift. Reaman, on staff.” must focus on the younger incom-
CEDIA’s major initiatives, such as government The efforts benefit everyone in ing generation.
affairs and industry outreach, often fly below the the trades, Erdmann adds, includ- “There is a generational gap in
radar, says CEDIA chair Ken Erdmann, president ing some non-members who don’t which 25- to 35-year olds are disen-
of Erdmann Electric, in Springville, Utah. understand that CEDIA, through grassroots chanted with CEDIA leadership,” he said. “They feel
“A lot of members don’t realize the amount of timeefforts, was able to get a law reframed in Texas as if they have no voice or opportunity to serve this
and money that goes into these efforts,” he said. earlier this year that would have limited lighting organization in any leadership capacity. There is
“CEDIA is active as a consultant and, to a very lim- and integration work. Hundreds of e-mails went no forum or mentoring program to hand off the
ited extent, in a lobbying role on behalf of the low- out in an afternoon to the legislator who then industry to them as time goes on.”
voltage industry as a whole. Our grassroots effort is started a study of the issue. Creeden, who is 34, has owned his business,
aimed at places where there are issues that are detri- Erdmann, who also serves as a CEDIA Univer- M&R Digital Innovations, in Spring Grove, Illinois,
mental to our industry, such as legislative efforts sity instructor, finds it challenging to overcome the for 15 years. With plans to step down as chair af-
that may limit the work of a CEDIA-type company. criticisms of those who accuse the organization of ter the next EXPO, he says reconnecting with
always having its hand out. younger companies and members was his goal
“There are anti-CEDIA voices during the past year.
on blogs, and we’ve tried to re- “We built our education volunteer teams with
spond to them, to tell them what new blood, new ideas, new energy, and new am-
their dues really accomplish,” he bition,” Creeden said. “We also re-enlisted the
said. “The criticism is unfounded services of members who haven’t been recently in-
given what I know about how volved in CEDIA education, who can help guide
CEDIA spends. For example, we this new generation, by providing the history of CE-
have a seat before the California DIA’s educational offerings.”
Energy Commission, which is For the second time last year, CEDIA Universi-
tasked with writing energy-saving ty’s Learning Labs offered technicians a more
ordinances. As a board, we’re giving hands-on experience, he noted. “Through our
membership the floor to make sure partnership with ADI we were able to offer just
we address their needs and hear that. ADI has recommitted for a third year at EXPO
their concerns. We want to over- 2010, and we will bring back the Installer Olympics,
come the perception that CEDIA’s furthering our goals to engage the younger gener-
Leaders of CEDIA are looking to recruit younger integrators and to volunteer leadership is detached ation of professionals.”
put forth a message that CEDIA and its educational curriculum are and aloof. We’ve made strides and Creeden’s proudest moment came at this past
essential to the future of the industry. we’re open and available.” October’s post-EXPO meeting in Indianapolis,
32 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
where 80 percent of the participants were new to by people like Frank White. Learning how to teach Council and vice chair of the Home Technology
CEDIA volunteerism. A D-Tools blog entry by Ryan other professionals is a system that has fundamen- Alliance (HTA) I am able to return to the industry
Brown, in which Brown detailed his satisfying tally changed my ability to grow any business.” the value I have received from it through the efforts
experience at the meeting and his CEDIA involve- When, after that first course in 2006, Carter felt of many previous CEDIA members.”
ment, is a testament to how passionate the he wasn’t fully prepared to make a formal presen- CEDIA University instructors who assume their
upcoming generation can be, Creeden noted. tation, he penned a two-page document about assessment forms go right into the trash are mis-
“We need 10 more Ryan Browns,” he said. his vision for CEDIA’s Train the Trainer course. taken, says Robert Ridenour, senior category man-
“That’s our longevity; that’s how we’ll survive go- From there, he was asked to serve on the ROI Action ager of integrated solutions for Niles Audio, and a
ing forward.” Team. “In helping to expand the course into a full-day CEDIA instructor pool chair.
Matt Carter, president of Encore Technology + program, we are putting educators on the street “The assessment impact is substantial,” he said.
Design of Raleigh, North Carolina, took a “Train the with stronger messages and excellent content,” “We used to say that a dog could give a class and get
Trainer” CEDIA course three years ago given by he said. “Now, as chair of the Industry Outreach a score of three out of four on a review, and a tal-
CEDIA veteran Rich Green, and it changed his pro-
fessional life. The Registered Outreach Instructor
(ROI) course, which is designed to equip CEDIA
‘
As a board, we’re giving
membership the floor to make
sure WE ADDRESS THEIR
NEEDS and hear their concerns
—Ken Erdmann, CEDIA Chairman
members with the tools and skill sets to reach out to
the residential construction industry, helped con-
vince Carter to get more involved in CEDIA training.
“The bulk of CEDIA membership is made up of
smaller firms finding it hard to dedicate time to
market what their industry and business are all
about,” Carter said. “They’re busy fighting the dai-
ly battles of getting designs right and making sure
the technology works”.
Bringing CEDIA members together with the
professional members of other construction trade
associations seems like such a simple concept,
but the energy CEDIA puts into it has increased
dramatically in the past few years, he says. “I’m in-
volved because that course taught me how to pro-
vide the education CEDIA was assembling for the
design community and gave me access to the
CEDIA Industry Outreach program. My prior en-
tre to an architect’s firm was only as a sales person.”
CEDIA’s approved continuing education cours-
es allow Carter to talk directly to architects as an
industry and association professional, and this
program is available to all members, he says.
“There’s a tremendous amount of value in that. I
wouldn’t be where I am today professionally, if it
hadn’t been for core CEDIA education delivered
At the Crossroads
FEATURE
accomplish this is through involvement.”
Although the organization has historically rep-
resented high-end custom installation firms, Bald-
win says, adoption rates have diversified CEDIA’s
channel, and today custom is a level of services.
“The face of CEDIA has changed,” he explained.
“Today, CEDIA represents the professional compa-
nies and individuals that deliver the Electronic
Lifestyle.” However, Baldwin says, high-end inte-
grators, who were once the primary member of the
association, need not fear the future, as innovations
in home health care, energy management, video
conferencing, and virtual reality continue to drive
emerging market business. CEDIA, he explains, will
be the mechanism to provide access to and educa-
tion about these new technologies and markets.
“CEDIA needs critical mass,” Baldwin said. “Ul-
timately the strength in any association is to repre-
sent votes and tax dollars. And if CEDIA is to success-
fully advocate for its members, we need to represent
CEDIA Education Council chair Mike Creeden (left) says that reconnecting the entire industry, providing value for all who join.”
with younger companies and members was his goal during the past year.
Karen Mitchell is a writer in Boulder, CO.
ented dog could WAY UP NORTH
get a four. But the “We see ourselves as set apart from American
reality is that CEDIA members, with different issues and requiring
UTZ WANTS
course assess-
ments are read,
different solutions, says Marilyn Sanford, president
of La Scala in Vancouver B.C. Sanford founded
YOUR INPUT
One of CEDIA CEO Utz
and the numbers and served as president of CEDIA Canada, is a
Baldwin’s primary goals
vetted to spot CEDIA Fellow and currently serves on its board.
is to convince both mem-
trends with comments prioritized. Each year, a Her viewpoint from working on CEDIA Canada bers and non-members
third of our class content is overhauled from minor before moving onto the North American board is that of the industry to contact
changes to complete revamping.” more of her countrymen (and women) are needed the trade association and
Ridenour’s commitment to CEDIA education on the board, which is receptive to the idea. make their business needs known. It’s that
draws from personal experience, he says. “When “I believe Canadian membership has about feedback and interactive dialogue that has
I started working in this industry, in 1987, there was 200 CEDIA members, representing approximately made CEDIA a vital organization over its 20-
no CEDIA and no ‘industry.’ We all taught our- 10 percent of CEDIA North America membership,” year history, and one of the only ways the or-
selves. We were like dentists with pliers in the Old she noted. “It may not be apparent to Canadian ganization will continue to thrive and grow.
West; if it worked you were doing it right.” dealerships, but we have made more progress by “If you come from the AV world, security,
electrical, or IT market, there is a home for
His advice to those entering the industry re- having representation on the board.”
you within CEDIA,” Baldwin said. “You have
volves around education. Learn as much as you With the U.S. market ahead of Canada by 18 to
a voice, and you can affect the work your as-
can about what you’re doing, he says, even if you 24 months, Canadians, more conservative in buy- sociation does for you.”
don’t think you need it. ing habits and sometimes held back by CRTC The organization is looking at new ways to
“CEDIA started working on Internet Protocol (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunica- develop tangible benefits, he adds. “The
education five to seven years ago when many did- tions Commission) approval requirements, have a board’s goal is to make CEDIA membership
n’t regard it as important to CEDIA,” Ridenour said. little lag time, putting them in a great place for ob- an unquestionable value. In the coming year,
“Now the future of our industry is in that protocol. serving, she added. we believe that will become reality.”
Why do IT professionals need to learn about ampli- Baldwin encourages anyone with an idea
fied systems? Because our industry is one of the INDUSTRY ADVOCATES or interest in contributing to CEDIA to reach
most difficult to be a part of, and because it’s so CEDIA CEO Utz Baldwin is adamant about partic- out, contribute, and “help create the driving
force that CEDIA was meant to be.”
broad-based. CEDIA remains the only place to ipation in the association. “We must go to the
“My e-mail (ubaldwin@cedia.org) is always
learn about lighting, security, Internet—all the sys- table and build consensus as to what this indus-
available,” he said.
tems, all under one roof and one access point.” try will become,” he said. “The only way to
34 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
FEATURE BY STEVE FEINSTEIN
Selling Secondary
Surround Sound
INTEGRATING
MULTI-CHANNEL
AUDIO IN MORE
ROOMS OF THE HOUSE
While there is nothing like a dedicated home the-
ater room to wow your clients and make movie
night a memorable experience, the reality is that
most people spend more time watching TV and
movies in their bedroom, den, or even in the
kitchen. If you are not showing your clients what
you can do with those rooms as well, you’re miss-
ing out on a huge market for high-quality audio
systems in these smaller, “secondary” rooms.
THEATER-QUALITY IN SMALLER SPACES
Selling secondary systems is fundamentally no
different than selling a full-scale theater room.
Getting good video is not the issue; there are stun-
ning HD video screens available in any size. The
selling point is your ability to put theater-quality
audio in smaller spaces.
First, you’ve got to give your clients an alterna-
tive to the small single-speaker “virtual surround
system” that they might otherwise buy from their
local big-box store. These all-in-one systems typ-
ically use a single speaker enclosure that contains
amplifiers and a set of electronic processing algo-
rithms to trick the listener into thinking they’re
hearing multi-directional sound.
These systems can work reasonably well if the
listener sits directly in front of the screen, looking
Soundbars, like KEF’s HTF8003, are attractive,
easy-to-install, and have benefited from some
really outstanding research and development work
over the past few years.
36 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
directly at it. It’s a very small “sweet spot.” If you
move a couple of feet to the left or turn your head,
then the illusion is broken. The sound collapses to
a not-so-impressive single-point source again.
Point this out to people, and these systems lose
much of their appeal. After all, who wants to be
trapped in a small spot to get good sound in their
bedroom?
IN-CEILING OPTIONS
There are better solutions, and clients will jump at
them once they have had the chance to hear them
in action. In rooms where the entertainment sys-
tem is not the primary function, like a bedroom,
a ceiling-speaker-based audio system makes a lot
of sense. Many manufacturers offer purpose-built
in-ceiling LCRs with midrange/high-frequency
SOUNDBARS and CEILING
‘
SPEAKER-BASED AUDIO
SYSTEMS from reputable
brands will deliver extremely
high-quality sound, and do
so in rooms where a
freestanding speaker system
just wouldn’t fit
drivers that are angled right at the listening area,
providing excellent intelligibility. Similarly, there
are in-ceiling surround speakers that perform
quite well in delivering immersive, non-localizable
surround information. Combine these with any
number of small, affordable, easy-to-hide sub-
woofers, and you have a quality audio system that
integrates nicely into a room that was not “de-
signed” for a theater system.
CONSIDER THE SOUNDBAR
Another way to go, which is even easier to install,
is to use a soundbar. A soundbar is a long, slender
cabinet that contains separate speakers for the
front three Left-Center-Right (LCR) channels, or
even for all five channels of a surround system.
Mounted under the flat-screen TV (either on
the TV stand or with the TV on its wall-mount
bracket), soundbars are attractive, easy-to-install,
Selling Secondary Surround Sound
FEATURE
and have benefited from some really outstanding pendent speakers instead of five. The point is that
research and development work over the past there are a lot of good options. You could even for-
few years. go the actual surround speakers and just install
the LCR soundbar.
A HYBRID APPROACH Even if they skip the surround channels, most
Finally, a good hybrid alternative is combining a good LCR speakers will far outplay a small virtu-
three-channel LCR soundbar with a pair of ceiling- al surround system where it really counts: in the
mounted surround speakers (along with that tonality, wide frequency response (“richness”),
compact sub). A three-channel bar and clarity of the sound. Give a client a
the same size as a typical five- five-minute A/B demo, and most
channel model can usually will gladly trade those faux-sur- The Atlantic Technology FS-7.0 produces seven-
pack more quality and round systems for a three- channel surround sound in a single box with no DSP
acoustic firepower into channel front soundstage trickery needed.
the same space, be- that gets it right every time.
cause that 40-inch The key to all of these so- stallation. Soundbars and ceiling speaker-based
span is only divided lutions lies in managing audio systems from reputable brands will deliver
up among three inde- (and by that I mean exceed- extremely high-quality sound, and do so in rooms
ing) the clients’ expectations where a freestanding speaker system just would-
In rooms where the
by blowing them away with a n’t fit. A demo that closely replicates the size and
entertainment system is
world-class demo. Many cus- dimensions of the client’s space is very convinc-
not the primary function,
like a bedroom, a ceiling- tomers will be skeptical that true ing. Hearing is believing.”
speaker-based audio system, like high-quality surround sound can be
SnapAV’s new Episode line, makes a attained by anything other than tradi- Steve Feinstein is the director of marketing and product
lot of sense. tional box speakers or a high-dollar in-wall in- development for Atlantic Technology.
FEATURE BY JENNIFER HILLMAN
With two rows of six chairs on tiered
No Architect,
platforms and a five-foot stage for
presentations and games, the home
theater room can serve as a multi-purpose
entertainment venue for the whole family.
No Designer…
No Problem
HOME TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS RELISHES FULL CONTROL OF
AV INTEGRATION DESIGN PROJECT IN WICHITA, KANSAS
Establishing a unified vision from an architect, firm installed structured cabling in the home for
interior designer, and ESC on the same home AV telephone, video, and networking, and integrated
integration project is often difficult. The systems together an extensive security system, 24-zone
integration team from Home Technology Systems audio distribution system, high-definition distri-
Inc. avoided this potential headache on a recent bution to all flat-panel displays, a CCTV surveil-
whole-home project in Wichita, Kansas, by essen- lance system, and a dedicated home theater room.
tially playing all three roles. The lack of architect The system, which includes 16 discreet audio in-
or interior designer on the project meant that the puts and nine video inputs, is Crestron-controlled
Home Technology Systems team could focus more with two TPS-6X wireless touchpads, three TPS-6L
on system performance and less on overcoming in-wall touchpads, five APAD audio control inter-
aesthetic obstacles. faces, and six ML-600 RF handheld remotes.
Home Technology Systems, which was founded
The Home Technology Systems Inc. team includes
12 years ago by Shannon and Doris McGinnis, (standing in back) co-owners Doris McGinnis and THE THEATER
completed the project in early 2009 for a local Shannon McGinnis, and front row (from left) Although Home Technology Systems did use a
business owner who began building his 10,000- associates JoNathan Burden, Jerry Cleaton, and general contractor for the home theater’s extensive
square foot home two years earlier. The integration Michael Bruce. woodwork build out, the integrators designed the
40 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
No Architect, No Designer… No Problem
FEATURE
rest of the dedicated space themselves. With two
rows of six chairs on tiered platforms and a five-
foot stage for presentations and games, the room
can serve as a multi-purpose entertainment ven-
ue for the whole family.
The theater features a 134-inch acoustically
transparent Screen Excellence Reference Series
screen matched up to a JVC HD100 DILA 1080p
projector. Focal Electra IW1000Be in-wall center-
channel speakers add to the cinematic ambiance,
but that’s only the beginning when it comes to
the 7.4-channel audio system. The surround set-
up combines four Focal Profile 908 left and right
speakers (two stacked and bi-wired together on
each side), Focal IW706V sides and rears, dual 11-
inch Focal front-stage SW904 subwoofers, and
two SpeakerCraft Sub8 dual subwoofers along the
sides. An Integra DTR8.9 receiver, Furman power
conditioner, and URC MX3000 touchscreen RF
remote round out the system.
Having the theater located in a precast con-
crete structure was beneficial because it helped to
The dedicated theater’s source equipment is accessible from two directions in this custom enclosure.
ensure that sound isolation from the rest of the
home was not as difficult to achieve. Additional- five Motorola DVRs, dual AM/FM and Sirius/XM idence while keeping it within the 16 available
ly, its placement under the garage eliminated any tuners, and an Apple TV also was introduced into within the Crestron control system.
sort of thumping that might disturb other rooms the system for both video and iTunes playback. Additionally, McGinnis wanted to keep graph-
in the house. Video sources include a Security DVR and a PC, ical user interface (GUI) options logical and sim-
“As we were going for big sound and power to as well. ple for his client. The goal was to create a GUI
match the scale of the room, it was a huge bene- The client’s bar/lower patio entertaining area that minimized the number of decisions that need-
fit that the structure was precast,” McGinnis said. required thoughtful design of the AV control system. ed to made to operate the system and one that al-
Home Technology Systems was tasked with ensur- lowed sources to be changed easily.
AROUND THE HOME ing that each of the six LG flat-panels could provide As a result, touchpanel control pages were craft-
The theater isn’t the only room to receive careful matching audio from the video source, independ- ed with a Q&A element to guide the user’s selec-
consideration. Audio source needs were met with ent audio from an iPod, or terrestrial or satellite tions. According to McGinnis, ensuring that the
radio services controlled by the Crestron system. number of pages and questions presented by the
The design enables the client to stream eight interface were kept to a minimum was paramount
Honeywell HD73 security cameras via a DVR to any to making the system manageable. The Crestron
of those screens. But the fun doesn’t have to stop ML-600 remote is used in six other rooms and re-
at the bar. Various line-level local inputs for MP3 quires only a few local input adjustments for bed-
or PC content provide audio in the bedrooms and rooms. Additionally, the client has two wireless
remaining public party areas. Crestron TPS-6X six-inch touchpanels and three in-
“The availability of most of these same sources wall TPS-6L six-inch touchpanels that share the
throughout the other displays and rooms in the same GUI design. There are also four Crestron
home was the next logical extension of the project APAD interfaces that provide audio control in two
and so, per the client’s guidelines, we routed the ap- of the bedrooms, the wine room, and the garage.
propriate sources to each location,” McGinnis said. The team also faced a design challenge when it
came to integrating the Honeywell Vista 128 secu-
TAKING CONTROL rity system. The home’s patio doors collapse and
As with any project done on such a grand scale, slide open to allow an indoor/outdoor flow for
Home Technology Systems faced a few hurdles entertaining on the home’s main level. The prob-
before their job was done. Challenges included lem was establishing a security contact closure
A URC MX3000 touchscreen RF remote controls defining the number of AV sources that needed to point with integrity. The solution was a small, un-
the theater be controlled and distributed throughout the res- obtrusive surface-mount system that allows the
42 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
(Above) Home Technology Systems’ design ensured that each of the six LG flat-panels in the bar/lower
patio entertaining area could provide matching audio from the video source, independent audio from an
iPod, or terrestrial or satellite radio services controlled by the Crestron system. (Right) Systems throughout
the rest of the house are Crestron-controlled with two TPS-6X wireless touchpads, three TPS-6L in-wall
touchpads, five APAD audio control interfaces, and six ML-600 RF handheld remotes.
party to move freely throughout the entertain- arate low-voltage systems in the home from the AV lanta. Having completed such a large project with
ment space while still providing security. sources to the security cameras and even the abil- success makes it clear that Home Technology Sys-
ity to expand control of HVAC and lighting all into tems has come a long way from what it was at its
ON THE RISE one common interface is where we most differen- inception just a dozen years ago. It is now one of
According to McGinnis there are a few specific tiate from our competition,” he said. the top systems integrators in the Wichita area.
design features of the project that best symbolize It’s no surprise that the theater portion of this
what Home Technology Systems does best. project won the Level III Bronze Award at the 2009 Jennifer Hillman is an editorial intern for Residential
“We feel that the integration into all of the sep- CEDIA Electronic Lifestyle Awards ceremony in At- Systems.
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PEER PRODUCT REVIEW
NUVISION
Lucidium FX5LS Series LCDs
PRODUCT SPECS
Edge-Lite LED, 120HZ 1080p Deep Black
LCD
Processor/Format Conversion: NiDO IV
Full 10-Bit
Noise Reduction: Motion Adaptive,
User Selectable
Film Cadence Detection: Automatic 3:2,
2:2, and 5:5
Feature Edge Correction
Includes four rear HDMI 1.3 ports
Integrates via NuControl (RJ-45/IR
How do you rate NuVision’s Lucidium
passthrough/iput (with and without
FX5LS Series LCDs?
I’d give it a 9.5 out of 10. The quality has been very carrier), RS232C (bi-directional,
good, especially as it relates to performance. w/polling), discrete IR
input/format/on/off codes
For what types of installations is this series
of panels best suited? All FX5 sets come with NuVision’s own
Pretty much all applications, installation wise. FX5 and FFM technologies
They really look good above fireplaces. FX5 eliminates the need for the 3:2 pull
down algorithm found in 60Hz dis-
Describe the feature set of the product. What features would you like to
The feature set is very good. It has very intuitive see changed or added? plays, by recreating each frame five
menus. None at the moment. times, thus utilizing the 120Hz and
high refresh rate of the panels
THE REVIEWER... FFM helps create flicker-free fast sports
and motion sequences by comparing
Larry Marcus is president of Paragon the AV industry in 1997 when
Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor, Michi- he purchased Paragon Sight two consecutive frames and generating
gan (734.662.3595; www.paragonsns. and Sound. He considers his additional interpolated frames
com) has been involved with the AV in- specialty, “combining great Both functions can be shut off
dustry since he was a boy. His love for surround sound/home theater
both the hobby and the industry took installations with great sound completely to control any latency issues
off at age 12 when he received his first and picture.” that may occur
all-in-one player. Marcus also worked in
The Series comes with a full, two-year
the AV industry while in college and graduate IN HIS OWN WORDS...
school. He practiced law for eight years (two as When asked what he finds most exciting manufacturer’s warranty on all parts
a prosecutor in Lucas County, Ohio), and spent about being a custom installation dealer, and labor.
another eight years in the store fixture business. Marcus said, “Really, quite simple, seeing
Available in 40-, 46-, and 55-inch screen
During this time he stayed current with audio- the customer smile when you have delivered
video technologies. Marcus achieved his dream their dream system and it exceeds their sizes
of a successful business model and love for expectation.” ➧ 200
44 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
ADVERTISEMENT
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Cellular Communication Center: 2010 CES Innovation Award Honoree
Allows remote security monitoring for homes without landlines OR as backup if the existing landline is cut.
Provides two-way communication. No programming is required, incredibly easy to install! Works with most
security systems.
HAI • 800-229-7256 • www.homeauto.com • CES Booth #25510
Log on to www.resmag.hotims.com for more information.
Baldwin Door Hardware with Home Connect Technology
Baldwin is introducing a smarter way to connect to your home with Home Connect Technology. It works
by allowing your lock to wirelessly talk to other technologies in your house, such as the security system,
lighting, thermostat, and entertainment system.
Baldwin Hardware • 866-863-6584 • www.baldwinhardware.com
E-mail: accesscontrol@bdhhi.com • CES Booth #3409 North Hall
Log on to www.resmag.hotims.com for more information.
Kwikset’s SmartCode with Home Connect Technology
Kwikset is introducing a smarter way to connect to your home with Home Connect
Technology. It works by allowing your lock to wirelessly talk to other technologies in
your house, such as the security system, lighting, thermostat, and entertainment system.
Kwikset • 866-863-6584 • www.kwikset.com/wirelesslocks
E-mail: accesscontrol@bdhhi.com • CES Booth #3409 North Hall
Log on to www.resmag.hotims.com for more information.
Intelix DIGI-HD-8X8 HDMI Twisted Pair Matrix
Ideal for residential and commercial installations, the Intelix DIGI-HD-8X8 combines a professional-grade
HDMI matrix with Intelix's industry-leading twisted pair extenders. Each system provides eight HDMI
inputs, eight HDMI outputs, and eight twisted pair outputs. A built-in touch screen delivers front panel
setup and control, and third-party control systems integrate via RS232, Ethernet or IR.
Intelix • 866-4-MATMIX • www.intelix.com • intelix@intelix.com
Log on to www.resmag.hotims.com for more information.
For advertising opportunities contact Zahra Majma at 212.378.0400 x517, e-mail: zmajma@nbmedia.com. 45
PEER PRODUCT REVIEW
TRUFIG
Custom Installation Kit
How do you rate the TRUFIG Custom Installation Kit?
I would rate TRUFIG at the top of any scale. In my 25 years in the industry I can hon-
estly say I have never been more excited about a new offering as I am about TRUFIG.
It is a serious product at a serious price point, and it will require a very serious com-
mitment by the dealer to ensure its’ successful implementation. But it is a serious-
ly cool product.
For what applications is it best suited?
TRUFIG is a product ideally suited for any high-end interior, residential or commer-
cial. It will be most easily understood in a modern or contemporary design, howev-
er it is also appropriate for any interior where a clean look is desired by the architect,
interior designer, or client.
Describe its feature set.
TRUFIG takes light switches, electrical outlets, TV and data outlets, volume controls,
and control touchpanels virtually out of sight within the interior of the spaces it oc-
cupies. This is especially important for removing visual intrusions and improving sight-
lines in areas where art, architecture, and interior design blend in harmony to cre-
ate beautiful spaces.
What features would you like to see changed or added to the TRUFIG
Custom Installation Kit?
I would like to see a wider variety of products available within the product line. I un-
derstand the manufacturing challenges and know this will come with time.
PRODUCT SPECS
Custom installation kits have been
developed to seamlessly integrate
common wall fixtures such as light
switches, electrical outlets, and
audio/video wall plates for a clean,
flush-mount installation
A variety of single-gang, double-gang, THE REVIEWER...
and touchscreen kits are available David Rogers is founder and CEO professionals that his
Each kit includes a TRUFIG Mounting of Dallas Sight and Sound Inc. in Ad- company works with.
Platform, TRUFIG Trim Components, dison, Texas (972.392.3202; www.dal-
lassightandsound.com). He began IN HIS OWN WORDS...
TRUFIG Fascia, and TRUFIG Fascia Re-
his career in 1979 and founded his “[I have] a love of how
moval Tool. company six years later. A dealer for things work and a pas-
Three standard colors are available and TRUFIG owner Dana Innovations sion for creating an envi-
since 1987, Rogers says that the most ronment within which
custom color matching instructions are
exciting aspects of being a custom people can create
provided for on-site modifications installation dealer are providing solutions and unique designs and provide high quality serv-
➧ 201 consistent service for his clients and the design ice to our clientele.”
46 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
ADVERTISEMENT
LITERATURE REVIEW
CHIEF MANUFACTURING PREMIER MOUNTS
Chief Manufacturing’s Full Line Catalog It’s only as good as the mounting system
provides product features and Installing high-end plasmas and projec-
specifications for a full line of mounting tors? Get mounts of the same caliber.
solutions for projectors and flat panel Wall/ceiling mounts, swing-out arms,
displays. Chief is committed to floor stands, TV mounts and much more.
providing industry-first products that Premier Mounts
are easy to use and reduce installation 3130 E. Miraloma Avenue
time. For more information or to order Anaheim, California 92806
this product catalog, call 800.582.6480 800.368.9700 (tel) • 800.832.4888 (fax)
or visit www.chiefmfg.com. Mounts@mounts.com •
To learn more, indicate 250 www.mounts.com
on Fast Facts Card To learn more, indicate 253
on Fast Facts Card
BTX TECHNOLOGIES
LUTRON ELECTRONICS
BTX celebrated its 41st anniversary
Lighting control manufacturer Lutron
with the release of its new 2008
Electronics wants to offer your clients
catalog. BTX’s 200-page color book
the ability to save energy...beautifully. A
contains thousands of products and
new brochure, “Ten energy saving solu-
technical information to save time and
tions from Lutron”, highlights 10 ways
money for systems contractors and
that Lutron lighting control and shading
OEMs in the AV, digital signage,
systems save energy, money and the
broadcast, residential, security, and
environment—all while making a home
data markets. The catalog also features
beautiful. The brochure offers solutions
expanded product offerings from new
for dimming incandescent, halogen,
and existing vendors. For a free copy
LED and fluorescent lighting, as well as
call 800.666.0996 or visit
using timers and occupancy sensors.
www.btx.com.
To learn more, indicate 251
To learn more,indicate 254
on Fast Facts Card
on Fast Facts Card
CRESTRON ELECTRONICS MIDDLE ATLANTIC PRODUCTS
Crestron’s product catalog is its largest, Middle Atlantic Products’ comprehensive
most comprehensive product resource Master Catalog of high-quality exceptional
published to date. Packed with an support and protection products features
abundance of hardware and software a complete line of: slide-out and rotating
solutions and updated details for all 900 racking and shelving systems and
current products. This catalog includes floor-standing enclosures, as well as
more application and product diagrams, space, cable, power, and thermal
more rear panel product photos and management solutions. For more
more technical specifications than ever information, visit middleatlantic.com or
before. This will certainly be an email info@middleatlantic.com.
invaluable resource for sales, systems
designers and project engineers. To learn more, indicate 255
To learn more, indicate 252 on Fast Facts Card
on Fast Facts Card
For advertising opportunities contact Zahra Majma at 212.378.0433, e-mail: zmajma@nbmedia.com. 47
BY KEN ERDMANN
CEDIA LINE
CEDIA Changes in 2010
HOW THE ASSOCIATION IS WORKING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR YOU
There is no doubt that 2009 was a challenging year ■ FREE EDUCATION AT CEDIA EXPO 2010
for everyone inside and outside of our industry. CEDIA University will continue rewarding
However, it also was a year of great support and members for their support with a host of free
hope for the industry and our association. CEDIA education offerings at CEDIA EXPO 2010,
celebrated its 20th year as an association, CE- September 22–26 in Atlanta.
DIA EXPO continued to be the premier tradeshow ■ EXPANDED PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITIES
of the industry, and CEDIA University expanded The PR and marketing team is hosting re-
its offerings to better meet the needs of every gional media tours to promote CEDIA Mem-
level of professional in the industry. bers around the country, making it easier for
With the success and challenges of 2009 in business to gain media attention and garner
mind, CEDIA’s leadership has introduced new positive publicity.
and expanded membership benefits in 2010 ■ NEW TECHNOLOGY WEBINARS
aimed at helping members grow and prosper as CEDIA is launching a new free webinar series
the economy continues its return to normalcy. aimed at educating members on emerging
CEDIA University will continue rewarding members for
If you are not a member of CEDIA yet, now is the technologies, industry trends, and other im-
their support with a host of free education offerings at
best time ever to join and reap the benefits that CEDIA EXPO 2010. portant technological advancements that
the association offers. And if you are a member, impact member businesses.
don’t forget to renew your membership to ensure and improve the performance of current sales
that you don’t miss out on any of the opportuni- staff with coaching from top-performing sales As you can see, CEDIA is dedicated to not only
ties that it provides you. people in the industry. This sales position as- making it easier for members to conduct busi-
sessment survey is free for CEDIA members ness, but also to thrive and expand services for in-
in 2010, which is a savings of more than $100. creased profitability in 2010. CEDIA is continual-
‘
With the success and ■ MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE ly assessing and re-evaluating programs and
More affordable registration and housing makes education, to assure that the association offers
challenges of 2009 in mind, this event for business owners a must attend. members the most effective and beneficial serv-
CEDIA’s leadership has Management Conference 2010 will be held
March 3-6 in New Orleans, and will feature the
ices possible.
Now is the time to take advantage of the numer-
introduced NEW AND popular Registered Outreach Instructor (ROI) ous opportunities CEDIA membership provides.
“Train the Trainer” course at no extra cost. CEDIA’s mission statement, “To advance our mem-
EXPANDED MEMBERSHIP ■ EXPANDED E-LEARNING bers’ position in their marketplace and to be a
BENEFITS in 2010 Expanded online education offerings make
training your staff even more accessible and af-
core component of their prosperity,” has never
had greater importance. It will continue to guide
fordable, plus free business Survival of the every initiative the association undertakes.
Here are some of the things that CEDIA mem- Fittest webinars monthly. For more information on the benefits of CEDIA
bers can expect out of their membership in 2010: ■ ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS TECHNICAL membership, visit www.cedia.org/membership.
REFERENCE MANUAL To join CEDIA or renew your membership today,
■ REVAMPED CAREER CENTER Members have access to this comprehensive visit www.cedia.org/join. To see a full listing of
CEDIA will unveil a new job-posting site al- guide for $89, which is a savings of $58 over the the events CEDIA has planned for 2010, visit
lowing members to post open positions with- non-member price. www.cedia.org/calendar.
in their company and find qualified employees. ■ REGISTERED OUTREACH INSTRUCTOR
Postings run for 60 days and cost $275, but in (ROI) SESSIONS
2010 members can post an unlimited amount CEDIA will continue to enable members to be-
of jobs for free. come part of the popular and well-received Ken Erdmann is CEDIA chairman
and president of Erdmann
■ SALES POSITION ASSESSMENT SURVEY “Train the Trainer” program, delivering home
Electric in Springville, Utah.
This assessment will help ESC companies iden- technology education to architects, builders, in-
tify talented sales staff within their company terior designers, and related professionals.
48 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
ADVERTISER INDEX
COMPANY NAME PAGE TELEPHONE #
Acoustics First 10 888.765.2900
Arlington Industries 7,16,21,29 800.233.4717
Autonomic Controls 19 914.598.1647
Crestron 2,5 800.237.2041
Da-Lite Screen 24-25 800.622.3737
Exact Power 13 800.266.7225
Inca Corporation 23 310.808.0001
Intelix 11 608.831.1833
Lutron Electronics Company 52 610.282.3800
MechoShade 27 718.729.2020
NuVision 9 877.738.7641
QVS 15 702.228.3670
Sanus Systems 35 800.359.5520
Skywalker Communications 33 800.844.9555
Somfy Systems 31 877.437.6639
Video Mount Products 17 410.643.6390
Vutec 51 800.770.4700
Free Product Information
f ro m R e s i d e n t i a l S y s t e m s A d v e r t i s e r s
Simply point your Web browser toward www.resmag.hotims.com and select the
products you are interested in. Plus, if you subscribe to the Residential Systems eNews, you
can also get monthly alerts that list all the new products found in the latest issue.
BY RICHARD MILLSON
BACK TO BUSINESS
Fix That First Impression
ELEVATING YOUR STATUS FROM SUB-TRADE TO PROJECT PROFESSIONAL
“You never get a second chance to make a first professions and no doubt have developed a cer- Unless you have a real talent for this type of thing,
impression” is an old saying that still contains a tain set of opinions and expectations around the hire a design professional to make sure every-
great deal of truth today. Unfortunately, many types of professionals that they choose to hire and thing has a unified look and feel.
members of our industry forget to apply the lesson engage with. Have you thought about what those
inherent in this axiom. expectations might be and how both you and your YOUR WARDROBE
As ESCs, we are always meeting new people organization measure up to them? If you are a company owner or senior manager
involved in our projects. Every one of these first Are you doing everything you can to present who often meets with clients, then there is neither
meetings offers the chance to establish the foun- yourself and your firm not just as technology ex- the need nor the expectation that you must dress
dation of a relationship, and the first impression perts but as a serious and reputable business run like the rest of your team. If you want to be taken
that you create should be the best one possible. by experienced professionals? If not, then I strong-
ly recommend taking steps to do just that.
‘
WHAT TO START Are you doing everything you
There are many ways to polish how you present YOUR WEB SITE
yourself and your company. The single most impor- If you don’t have a website, then create one. You are can to present yourself and
tant impression is that you are true professional. promoting yourself as a technology specialist and
I believe that our industry still has a long way not having a website sends entirely the wrong
your firm not just as technology
to go toward raising the level of professionalism ex- message. experts but as a SERIOUS AND
hibited by the average ESC. The time has come If you do have a website, then take a good look
when ESCs must start behaving like the profession- at it and consider hiring a professional web de- REPUTABLE BUSINESS run by
als that they are expected to be. signer to update it. Check out the websites of oth-
er companies that your clients are likely to
experienced professionals?
visit for luxury automobiles, yachts, fine
jewelry, etc. These sites tend to have a very as seriously as the architect or other project pro-
clean and elegant look and present less in- fessionals, then dress like them. And no, wearing
formation, not more. The idea is to offer a a long-sleeved company logo shirt with your jeans
simple, intuitive, and uncomplicated in- instead of the polo your techs wear is not enough.
terface that provides enough information to You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a
get people interested enough to contact bunch of expensive clothes, but you should be
you. Don’t try to explain every aspect of dressing professionally, appropriately, and differ-
every service that you can provide, because ently from your installation crew. Think a little
all the studies indicate that no one will less “sub-trade” and a little more “consultant”
spend the time to read it. when selecting your wardrobe, and you will elevate
yourself and your company in the eyes of others.
BUSINESS COLLATERAL If you want to not just survive but thrive in the
If you want to be taken as seriously as the architect or other
project professionals, then dress like them. Consider your business cards, letterhead, years ahead, then you will need to focus on rais-
envelopes, your company brochure, and ing your professionalism in everything that you do.
Like it or not, there are certain expectations anything else you create or print to communicate Next month I’ll explore areas that you can ad-
associated with the term “professional,” and they with the outside world. Whether you know it or not, dress inside your business that are equally impor-
extend well beyond simply doing something every this stuff matters a lot. When you hand someone tant in creating a truly professional organization.
day and getting a paid for it. Think about the oth- your business card, it is one of the first moments in
er significant professionals that you encounter which you have an opportunity to communicate Richard Millson (richard.
on a project. These can include architects and that you are different. Forget any whacky gimmicks millson@millson.net) is
other design professionals, lawyers, engineers, and stick to really high-quality paper and a very president of Vancouver-based
and, for that matter, the clients themselves. These clean layout with your logo and a minimum of text. Millson Multimedia.
people are often senior executives in their own The same goes for all your printed materials.
50 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS • JANUARY 2010
